So I am down to just 6 of my meat chickens left to butcher and they have been outstanding! in returns.. I bought 50, raised 48.. (thanks for the advice to change their feed over) and I can’t believe the amazing return yield on these guys.

I have 8 turkeys left to butcher out over the next while.. I could let them get bigger but there is no reason to do so, and I want to clean out the pens early..

I have butchered all the rabbits and at this time, we have closed the rabbit breeding program.. I have lots of rabbit manure to use yet and so much other manure coming from the sheep/horse’s and chickens.

I have butchered out all the geese.. wow.. its so quiet around here without my guard geese..

I have 8 more young ducks to butcher yet and then we are pulling the hens from the nests.. we will keep our ducks as they eat the flies and they are truly hubbies favorites, I think I have a couple extra big drakes that might go yet though.

We are down to just the yearling goat does and they will be butchered out along with most of the lambs and a few of the yearling sheep.. we are butchering out and turning into burger a few of the 2 to 4 year old ewes that I have not been as happy with and replacing them with my top choice keep back ewes from this year.. I might have a new home for my twin ewe full woolie/milky girls.. I hope I do.. while they would give me great meat yields they are so nice it would be lovely if they go to this new home instead.

So that will bring me into winter with my older layer flock (reduced as I am helping a friend start her coop and she is getting some of last years hens a rooster and at least one really good broody to hatch her chicks next spring) as well as my new dozen big brown layers. My keep back ducks, 6 to 8 sheep and my two horse’s.

This should allow us to do some extra deep clean up, composting and repair work that is needed, saving us on feed/hay/bedding and meds..

The finally call will be made in another month or two but its highly likely that we are taking the year off lambing.. we are going to pull the ram and ram lambs this weekend from the ewes, I have a friend who has promised me that she will loan me a in milk ewe if I want one at a later point but right now. I am putting up milk so I will have lots for later use in winter. I might breed my best milking ewe only.. we will see

Ordered some amazing beef from a farm down the road, so that will fill up the beef area of the freezer..

I think that’s it for the moment on that front.. and yes, if some of you just went WHAT? something is up.. you are not wrong.. but hang tight.. I will explain soon enough..

12 Responses to Butchering out..

Thank you Silver, Some things will stay the same as always, I love my home grown food but some things in flux right now and only time will give me the answer on how much change is coming.. will keep you all posted for sure.

Hi Willow Creek, I had them on chick grower and I had said here on the blog that I was noticing they were starting to spread their legs a bit more and that one had a limp.. Thankfully one of our regular readers was kind of enough to tell me to switch them over to the lower slower grower(even though it was younger then normal for most chicks) and she was right.. Thanks you because it slowed them down just a tad so no heart or leg issues.. just massive birds to butcher!

🙂 yes.. only time will give the full answer but at least it must make more sense why we are pulling in number of livestock, on things that must be done in winter as there is a possablity that having a greatly reduced outside work load and filled freezers/pantry’s will be VERY good things!

Hi Maria, I will see if I can do some photos for at least one of the fowl and a lamb, I have no issue sharing butcher photos but I break down and cut and wraps are the most useful parts really. I will continue to produce most of our own meat.. I just plan to do it in shorter bursts, I will be getting a spring piglet to raise, and meat chickens and turkey’s but I think I will keep buying the beef from the friend down the road, and of course I will continue to have my own lamb. I can’t even imagine not having my laying flock.. that’s not changing at all. Nor is my milking sheep 🙂 Thank you for the kind thoughts on the future..

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